Alzheimer's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by neurofibrillary tangles and plaques containing an amyloid beta peptide. Patients with Alzheimer's disease exhibit progressive dementia and personality dysfunction. Proteolytic cleavage of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) results in the generation of an amyloid beta peptide having a length ranging from 38 to 49 amino acids (e.g., 38-43 amino acids). The amyloid beta 1-42 peptide is particularly prone to self-aggregation and is strongly linked to development of Alzheimer's disease.